Whenever breast pumps are mentioned, no doubt the name Medela pops up in most people’s minds. This brand has been around for decades and is trusted by breastfeeding mothers all over the world.
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But even though it’s such a great brand, they have such a wide variety of products that sometimes it can be a little overwhelming for new mothers to sift through it all in an effort to find the ideal breast pump for their needs.
That’s why we have written this review that showcases the features of two of the most popular products that they offer: The Medela Freestyle vs Pump in Style.
Read on to find out what features you should look for when searching for the best breast pumps and which of the two reviewed here offers more benefits.
Intro
Medela has earned a great reputation among mothers over the years and it continues to do so by providing only great quality products to its customers. The only downside to that is that it makes it really hard for someone to choose between two great products from one amazing brand.
Having said that, I’ll certainly do my best to paint a clear picture of these products and the benefits you can get from using them so that you can decide which one best suits your needs. We also compared Medela to Spectra pumps and Ameda to Medela.
At the end of this review, I also share my own opinion about which one is better and why.
Main Differences
Portability
Most busy mothers will tell you just how important it is to have a breast pump that is small, compact and portable for when they have to pump milk on the go.
The Medela Freestyle is lighter than the PISA and comes with a handy microfiber tote bag that allows you to carry this lightweight device as well as all of its accompanying accessories easily. As far as portability goes, the Freestyle takes that prize.
On the other hand, the Medela Pump in Style comes with a stylish black bag that has pockets all around so you can store all your little items like keys, phones, or any other baby things that you’d like in addition to the pump. It helps keep everything organized.
Accessories
The Medela Freestyle breast pump comes with a small cooler bag that can fit two bottles of milk and has a removable ice pack insert that is perfectly contoured to fit around the two bottles.
Just like the Freestyle, the Pump in Style also has the cooler bag with the ice pack insert but the Pump in Style also comes with four extra bottles with lids.
Batteries
The Medela Freestyle comes with a built-in rechargeable Lithium-ion battery so you don’t have to buy separate batteries or replace them every few months. All you have to do is keep the battery inside charged for use when you’re away from home.
With the Pump in Style, you have to provide your own eight AA batteries if there is no electricity nearby.
Noise Level
Most moms will tell you just how precious quiet time becomes when you have a new baby in the house. You don’t want the noise of your breast pump waking the baby up after you’ve spent hours putting him down, so it’s best to opt for a quiet model that doesn’t sound like a lawnmower.
A quiet pump is also an advantage for moms going back to work as you wouldn’t want to draw that kind of attention in an office setting.
Luckily, both the options on our list are very quiet, but the Freestyle is the quieter of the two.
Hands-Free Option
Busy moms want to make the most of every minute of their day and having a breast pump that can be used hands-free could make all the difference to them. The Medela Freestyle allows you to pump milk while leaving your hands free to finish chores or get other work done at the same time.
By using the proper specialty bra, you can be doing dishes, vacuuming, changing a diaper, or doing any other kind of work you like while your baby’s nutritional needs are being taken care of.
Review: Medela Freestyle
Although most breast pumps made in this century are compact and come with rechargeable batteries, Medela Freestyle takes the need for portability to a whole new level with the amazingly small size of their breast pumps.
There are two of them in a kit that comes with two different suction cups, both of which can be used simultaneously if so desired.
This is a great advantage for active or working moms because it means you can pump milk much faster that way.
The portability of the pump is another great feature that I’m sure those moms will appreciate because it means that you can easily take it with you wherever you’re going and pump milk while you’re away from home.
The Freestyle breast pump comes with a handy cooler bag with an ice pack to help you manage all that. The ice pack fits two bottles perfectly and keeps your breast milk as fresh as possible until you get home.
This pump has a lightweight motor and a rechargeable battery which is great for those times you can’t find an outlet to plug in your breast pump.
The digital display is easy to read, and even has a backlight for when the conditions are dimmer. In addition to that, there is also a timer and memory functions which is great because it lets you record your different pumps each day.
Whatever your breast pump needs are, be it for using it throughout the day or maybe you just want to wean your little one to bottle feeding only, this breast pump from Medela could prove to be the ideal product for you.
All in all, the Medela Freestyle breast pump is a great choice that boasts some really amazing features.
- Compact, portable and lightweight
- Offers hands-free option
- Has a digital display and backlight
- Totally portable due to the rechargeable battery
- The simple hands-free setup makes pumping a lot easier
- Comes with two sizes of breast shields
- Difficult to clean
- The hands-free option a little more difficult with larger nipples
- Tubing isn’t sold in stores, so you can’t pump if you don’t have it with you while out
Review: Medela Pump in Style Advanced
There aren’t that many differences between the Freestyle and the Pump in Style. Their overall design is similar, but the differences that are there are worth mentioning.
All Medela pumps come with a bag for carrying your breast pump and accessories around as well as a cooler bag, but the Medela Pump in Style has 3 options for a carry bag.
This breast pump doesn’t come with a rechargeable battery, which I think is unfortunate as it can be inconvenient when you’re somewhere and you need to pump but you forgot the batteries at home. That’s a pretty small difference that doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker, but it’s worth mentioning anyway.
Like its counterpart, the Medela Pump in Style has a convenient double breast pump which can save busy moms a whole lot of breast pumping time. All things considered, this breast pump has a lot of things going for it, and so far the negatives don’t sound too bad to me at all.
I think that this would make a great breast pump for any busy moms on the go.
This pump actually comes with built-in holders for the bottles so that they don’t spill. For any mom looking to protect their milk supply, this could be the best choice for you as this pump has better suction than the Freestyle pump and this leads to more milk for your baby.
- Options for a carry bag
- Convenient one-touch letdown
- Simple and easy to use
- The pump mimics a baby sucking, so getting enough milk out is a lot easier with the Medela Pump In Style
- No tubes hanging from the bag out while you’re pumping
- Great value from breast pump and all the accessories
- Relatively quiet motor
- Only one size of breast shields come with this kit
- The nipples that come with the bag aren’t very suitable
- 8 batteries seems a little excessive
Final Verdict
After weighing each of the qualities of two of the most popular breast pumps, a clear winner has emerged. In my opinion, the Freestyle breast pump wins over the Pump in Style for a couple of reasons.
First, despite it’s slightly pricier cost, the Freestyle is a more well-rounded pump that will give you value for money over the months and years to come. Secondly, it has most of the features that new mothers are looking for in a breast pump, especially the hands-free pumping.
Both of these high-quality pumps are powerful and perform great in their individual ways. Whichever pump you decide to go with will definitely be a sound investment that will serve you well for as long as you need it.
Recap: Let’s summarize the best features of each of the two pumps
Busy, active moms should check out the more portable Freestyle Pump, whereas mommies who spend most of their time at home should think about the Pump in Style which has additional suction power.
Although a lot of times we let price be the deciding factor, it’s important when looking for the best breast pump to look further than the price, and this instance is a great example of how the price isn’t everything.
Although a little pricier, the Freestyle Pump is still more obviously the winner.
Manula Option: Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump
This Medela Harmony single breast pump is one of the more popular pumps meant for manual use and is recommended only for occasional use. It uses the newest technology in this simple manual pump that is easy to use.
It’s lightweight and portable for making on the go pumping easy. You will be able to pump milk in much less time with its special 2-phase expression technology whenever you’re pumping milk at the max comfort vacuum in the expression phase.
The Medela Harmony Manual Breast Pump comes with medium sized breast shields as well as BPA-free bottles to keep your breast milk in. Other parts included are the valve, membrane, and the spare membranes.
This product also comes with a very clear and detailed instruction manual, although it’s so easy to use that it’s doubtful that you’ll ever feel the need to refer to that manual.
This pump is best used for those occasional times when you’re away from your baby unexpectedly and you need to pump milk. It’s not meant for everyday use, so if you need a pump to use on a daily basis, this isn’t the one for you, but you cannot go wrong with either one of the ones reviewed first.
The design of this breast pump is so lightweight and portable that you could keep it in inside a ziplock bag in your purse and no one would ever know.
With its soft-touch swivel handle, pumping is comfortable and a breeze.
The Medela Manual breast pump is a great accessory to have in case of emergency, and it makes a really good complement to either the Medela Freestyle or the Medela Pump in Style double electric breast pumps.
Photo by Medelabreastfeedingus.com/, Modified by Author.
